While Windows 8 has been the center of attention lately when it comes to Microsoft (MSFT), the company has another major operating system update ready to roll out. Microsoft on Monday showcased Windows Phone 8 as the version of its mobile platform that will finally take off after more than two years crawling along at the bottom of the smartphone food chain, but not everyone is convinced. According to a new report, original equipment manufacturers in Taiwan are not expecting strong demand for smartphones powered by the newly updated mobile platform.
Unnamed industry sources tell Digitimes that “market demand for [Windows Phone 8] smartphones is not expected to be considerably large.” The anonymous industry watchers cite strong competition from Apple’s (AAPL) iPhone and various Android models as one of the reasons sales will likely be slow, and they also state that the learning curve involved with a potential switch to Windows Phone will be a barrier.
Smartphones powered by Windows Phone 8 are expected to begin rolling out in early November, and BGR recently reviewed the HTC Windows Phone 8X, which will be among the first new flagship Windows Phones to launch.
